Arthur Golden, "Memoirs of a Geisha"

In 1997, the book "Memoirs of a Geisha" was published. The circulation was four million copies. The author of the book - Arthur Golden - instantly became famous throughout the world. The book was loved by millions of readers, but the woman, whose biography the author referred to when creating the image of the main character, the work caused a storm of indignation. Who served as the prototype of the character of the famous novel? What caused this man's anger? The book of Arthur Golden "Memoirs of a Geisha" - the topic of the article.

East and West

Who are the geishas? Not every European will be able to answer this question. Only those who study the culture of Japan or is a connoisseur of the traditions of the Land of the Rising Sun. Or read a book belonging to the pen of an American japanite named Arthur Golden.

The attitude towards geishas in the mass consciousness of Europeans in the last century was disparaging. Representatives of this profession, in the opinion of the majority, represented a standard of Japanese beauty. But the main duty of a geisha is to entertain rich guests. So, they are beautiful, frivolous and do not have the habit of thinking about the issues of morality and morality. Such statements are not accepted by the fans of the novel, which Arthur Golden created in the late nineties of the twentieth century. "Memoirs of a Geisha" is the story of a woman of educated, thinking, strong and, above all, capable of true love.

The book about Japan

It would be unfair to say that before Arthur Golden wrote the book that became a best seller, the inhabitants of Europe and America were unaware of the national Japanese traditions. But nevertheless, it is the Memoirs of a Geisha, and in most cases the film adaptation of this novel, that has given a true representation to many people about the customs and traditions of the most mysterious and original people in the world.

Geisha is translated from Japanese - "a man of art." She wears a kimono, a special make-up is applied on her face. But most importantly, a geisha knows how to support a conversation on an intellectual topic, knows how to properly hold a tea ceremony, knows how to dance. At the same time, a representative of this profession never violates the subordination in dealing with guests.

A book about Japan can not be written without having a deep knowledge of the history and culture of this country. Who is Arthur Golden? Why did he take the responsibility to tell the story of one of the most famous geishas?

about the author

What else, besides the famous work, was written by Arthur Golden? His books are probably at the stage of creation. To date, the only creation Golden is the novel, which is discussed in this article.

The writer was fascinated by the culture of Japan in his student years. At university, he studied the history of Asia and even mastered a complex Chinese dialect. Master's degree was in 1980. Undoubtedly, Golden specialized in the history of the arts of Japan, but after graduating from university went to Beijing. And only a few months later he was in Tokyo.

Trial

During her stay in the Japanese capital, Golden visited the idea to create a novel about one of the most amazing social and cultural phenomena of this country. But in order to write a work of art about the life of a geisha, it is not enough to know about them only what is said in the historical literature. Golden smiled luck: he met one of the representatives of this profession.

After the publication of the novel, a woman named Mineko Iwasaki sued the writer. It was on her that the author relied, creating a portrait of the geisha Sayuri. What caused Iwasaki's dissatisfaction? Geisha, with many years of experience, claimed that Golden disclosed personal information, which aroused the anger of the former patrons of the Japanese beauty.

Meeneko Iwasaki

At one time she was the highest paid geisha in Japan. Iwasaki left the profession at the age of twenty-nine. The story of this woman is the basis of the Golden novel. Iwasaki told about her life to the writer, but only on the condition that her name will not be mentioned in the novel. Golden did not keep his promise.

In the preface to the novel, the author named her name and many others. In addition, the geisha resented the lie, which, in her opinion, was present in the work of the American writer. Mineko Iwasaki has never sold her virginity, and the heads of the novel, who talk about "Mizuage", called slander.

The proceedings ended in reconciliation. The writer paid Iwasaki an amount that remained a mystery.

Reviews

What is the reason for the popularity of the book about a Japanese woman? Why did European readers like the work that the American writer Arthur Golden created?

"Memoirs of a Geisha" tells of the difficult fate of a girl from a poor family. The people of Japan do not understand the inhabitants of the United States, France, Germany or Russia. The book reveals the unknown aspects of life in the Land of the Rising Sun. And that's why the work captures from the first pages. The merits of the novel also include a light style of narration. And most importantly, many interesting facts. However, someone who studied the history of Japan and lived in this amazing country for many years, probably will find shortcomings in Golden's prose.

These memoirs

In response to the celebrated novel by Golden Mineco, Iwasaki wrote her memoirs. She called the book "The real memoirs of a geisha." Iwasaki's work has not gained wide popularity. Rather, her book was therefore interested readers, which was a consequence of the conflict of the former geisha and the author of the famous novel. "Memoirs" by Golden are written in good literary language. There may be less truth in them than in Iwasaki's work, but for readers in the priority there is an exciting story, and not how much it describes the events that took place in reality.